Please, tell me you're kidding meright?
by barcode-babe-210
Summary: And now i'm home again. Back to Wisconsin...woo hoo. or not. well, at least i get away from the trust fund babies at boarding school. OC fic, soon moving to Seattle...please review me!
1. home again, home again, jiggedy jig

A lone car pulls down a deserted stretch of road along the Wisconsin countryside, looking out of place in the desolate marshes. Rain falls hard, blurring everything and quenching the thirsty brown grass. Halley Fischer takes a break from counting the fading yellow lines and looks around the car, tears pricking in her eyes at the loneliness she feels.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

There used to be a time, long ago, when they would all be here. When we would be a family together, and laugh and talk...hell, even just sit in a comfortable silence. But that's gone now...I'm not good enough for them any more. Just because I'm a little different now than I was then, they shipped me off to an English boarding school run by surprisingly Nazi-like nuns. I mean, aren't nuns supposed to be, like, holy and all that? Or, at least nice?

Whatever. And after being trapped in the British countryside with a bunch of girls named Muffy, I'm in real need of some brain-cell-usage. But, alas, that probably won't happen either, because I get to sit and listen to Daddy's new eye candy talk about Gucci and Prada. Please, as if I really care. I spend my entire time at boarding school in a uniform, and when I'm home I usually wear jeans and a tank top. So, needless to say, I spend my time hiding from the various skankily-clad blondes running through my household.

And I never even get to see my mother. She got Hannah, and dear old Dad got me. Not that he cares enough about this lovely package of daughtery-goodness- no, he sent me off to my first boarding school less than a week after he and Mom split. No big...not like they ever really cared anyway. They pretended to...you know, the whole 'bring your daughter to charity events and give her pretty things and it looks like you love her' method.

But now everything's different...I've always been superstrong and able to do stuff that no one else can. But now? Well, it's more. It's stupid, I know, and maybe I'm playing up so that I can pretend that my being in the world affects something more than my trust fund . Sometimes I like to pretend I'm special-I know, childish, but I really just want to be noticed. All my life I've been the weird girl, the one that people don't remember, or maybe it's that they don't want to. All I know is, I'm sick of being ignored. 

Hell, I'm sick of everything. But I can't change it. Mary, my bestest friend in the whole world, says that I can. She's the coolest girl- a wicked Wicca, listens to great music, and loves watching cheesy movies like Spice Girls at 1 a.m. And I usually believe her. But on the subject of me? Well, that's something that no one's ever been able to figure out- apparently I'm quite the stumper.

ah, and the huge house hidden in the hills rolls into view. Hell, sweet Hell... I just have one question for whoever chose this spot for my house- why the hell Wisconsin?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Deserted road, Southern Wisconsin, Aiden's PoV

Why did I have to be the one to pick up the girl? I mean, really, I know that it's a big job finding the 'other chosen one', but god, Wisconsin sucks! It takes forever to wait for all the cows in the middle of the road to move. I guess some must have gotten out after the Pulse. Woo hoo, lucky me.

I don't know how I'm gonna break it to this chick. I mean, she's lived her whole life in the lap of luxury, and now she's probably not going to want to move to a Post-Pulse Seattle. Ugh...what did Max and Alec send me into, anyway? I mean, I know that they're blinded from, well, everything with their newfound love for each other, but me? I'm just the sidekick, the one who doesn't do anything. I'm the guy who stands there and looks hot. I'm _definitely not_ the one for the job. Love...it just gets you confused.

I bet if this situation had come up a month ago, when Max and Alec were still pretending to hate each other, then I wouldn't have had to go. Max would have told her herself, leaving me free for an easy job like sentry duty. Well, at least now I don't have to worry about my legs cramping up from sitting in a watchtower all day.

I roll over a hill, momentarily taken aback by the sheer enormity of the house. Oh, yeah, she's definitely not gonna want to go away from here. I drive by brand-new midnight blue Ninja up a path through the woods, knowing that they won't let me in unless I'm scheduled to arrive. Which I'm kinda not. So, I scout out the backside of the house, where I know her room is from blueprints I've memorized. No sign of life. This is gonna be a long night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

I walk to my bedroom, happy to be home. What can I say? I missed my room, and all of the workers. I bet life is dull around here without me. Ooh, and with Dearest Daddy's ever-present parade of Barbie-esque girlfriends, I really pity the workers in our house. Yeesh!

The giant white 7-foot-tall double doors swing open as of their own will, and the two butlers from behind them immediately take my bags, setting them in my immaculately clean closet. Oh, yeah, Maria definitely cleaned while I was gone. But then again, what else is there to do around here without me?

You see, I am definitely not a neat freak by nature. I like organized chaos, personally. I think that it describes my life a whole lot better, personally. I don't mean to piss and moan all the time, but it's just hard. I know, Vague and Self-Pitying statement of the year award, right? Tell me about it.

I push the huge glass French doors open and wander about my balcony, sitting on the ledge and dangling my legs off. You know, for as much as I say I hate where I live, sometimes I like it. I mean, the views are great, and I can usually be alone all by my lonesome, very angsty self. God, I need to stop brooding. It's really not good.

Maybe if I just, like let it all out, I would feel better. And with Mary in Switzerland on a skiing trip, I have no one to tell anything. I guess the Swiss resorts aren't too keen on cell phones, damn them. So, one last resort. I open my mouth, and let out all of my frustrations in a bloodcurdling scream. See? All better.

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A/N: hey everyone. I know, this is a really sarcastic and broody fic, but I figure that every teen writer needs to write an angsty fic to let out their frustrations. Sorry if you think this is too sarcastic or whatever, but it won't be as much so as it goes on. Give me any criticism or things you think I should add or change to this story, and I'll listen.

Please review me and I'll luv ya for ever and ever!!!!

Molly Jeane :D

  
  
  
  



	2. Poofballs, cheetos, bribery and heels

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aiden's PoV

I see her open the French glass doors and nearly fall out of the tree I'm currently sitting in. Ok, maybe this mission might not be so bad. She has long, raven hair and bright green eyes, but her beauty's somewhat marred by the look of utter frustration on her face.

She paces for a few moments, toying with the ends of her hair before letting out a piercing scream. I cover my ears, the shrill sound almost too much for my hyper-sensitive ears, but I still hear a splash from the swimming pool.

She grins and looks over. "Need a floaty, Barbie?" she asks, feigning politeness as a blonde flails madly in the pool. The look of amusement on her face at the woman looking like a drowned poodle is enough to know that I'll get along with her just fine.

She walks back inside, a bounce to her step that was not there before. She twirls happily, jumping on her bed to an old Yellowcard song.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

Is it sad that I derive pleasure from the humiliation of my father's girlfriends? I mean, for argument's sake, they _have_ made my life a living hell. It's the least I can do to repay them. 

Although, sadly-well, for Bitty(I think that's the new one's name)- making her fall into the pool just isn't enough to repay her for forcing me to come to that stupid dinner later on tonight. I mean, really, how many middle-aged businessmen can you have hit on you before you barf all over your Chanel dress? Ugh, and don't even get me started on the clothes!!

I stop jumping smack dab in the middle of "Powder" by Yellowcard to stare in disgust at the prom-ish, fluffy pink and green number that's, and I quote, "perfectly fit for your personality, doll!" Can you say barf-tastic? Oh well, I'll "alter" it before the party.

It's just so lame that the women my father dates really feel the need to hang out with me. Maybe they feel sorry for me because my mother, by her own admission, didn't want me. Whatever; like it really matters to me. I have my music, I have my dancing, and that's all I need.

I don't really feel compelled to go hang out with people, besides Mary. Maybe it's because I've been so secluded from the outside world, but either way, I definitely do not like hanging our with the girls at boarding schools- again, with the exception of Mary.

I just hate how people can be so egotistical, you know? It's like, god, there are six billion other people in the world, just think about them for a change! It's hard to think about the big picture when the people you are in contact with constantly are so vain. 

But none of that matters...someday, I'm leaving here. If only it were today....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aiden's PoV

What if she doesn't believe me, or doesn't want to leave? What am I going to do then? Calm down, Aiden. For god's sake, you're a highly trained, genetically engineered soldier capable of deactivating a bomb in approximately 2.5 seconds. You can talk to a girl.

But this girl? She's so different from all the other ones at Manticore, that's for sure. She listens to great music, and is snarky, and...I'm doomed, aren't I?

She snips away at the giant poofball that rich people call a dress, throwing the discarded cloth over her shoulder, completely unaware that she's being watched. All of a sudden she tenses, and her head shoots up, her green eyes meeting mine. Shit.

I sign to her that I'm one of the good guys, hoping desperately she understands. She sits still for a moment, the scissors lying in her lap. She looks at me as if she's trying to decipher whether I'm really good or not, then signals for me to meet her at five o'clock behind the pool house. 

Damn, I like this mission.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

I pause mid-snip, my scissors falling into my lap, forgotten, as the hairs on the back of my neck stand straight up. I look out the window, my eyes landing on a man sitting in one of our trees. I close my eyes, trying to feel out whether he's good or bad. He does some weird motion to me, and I decide he's good.

Using sign language, I tell him to meet me behind the pool villa tonight, during the party. My eyes linger on him for a moment, studying his catlike movements as he climbs down the tree. Well, this is an interesting development.

Back to slaughtering the poofball...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aiden's Pov

I decide to stop at a nearby drug store for some chow...after all, we genetically empowered have very high metabolism- we like food. A lot. I walk into the store, heading straight to the junk food aisle. Hmm...Cheetos, Doritos, ooh, we got the whole -itos family! I grab a bag of cheetos and a box of Little Debbie brownies. 

I walk to the cash register, chips and brownies in hand, but stop at a jewelry stand, staring at a necklace with a tiny yingyang on it. Well, bribery is always helpful. I pay for my purchases and walk back to my bike, wrapping the necklace around my wrist for safekeeping. 

All I know is that this sure as hell isn't your average mission...not that I really mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

"Darling, let me see your dress!" Bitsy calls happily through the door. I smirk, sliding on the new dress I made- I cut off all the poof, like in that old movie 'What a Girl wants', so I'm just wearing the light pink slip and my mother's pearls.

I open the door, biting my lip so hard that it bleeds to keep myself from laughing at Betty's face. "What did you do? That was a $400 gown!!!" she shrieks, her voicing so shrill that if it went any higher, only dogs and whales would be able to hear it.

"I made some adjustments. You like?" I ask, twirling around. She gapes. Someone should really tell her that leaving your mouth open can result in a bug flying in and choking you to death. Then again, let's just see what happens if we don't tell her, shall we?

"You little monster!!" she whines, stomping away. Well, as good as you can stomp in pumps.

A half hour later, I walk down the stairway, not at all surprised to see that all of my father's acquaintances are already here. Simon de Lark is immediately at my side, taking my arm. Um, excuse me? God, it's so stupid how rich boys automatically think that every girl wants them, and want to be their future trophy wife.

I pull my elbow away from him, smiling sweetly to make up for it. He flashes me what he thinks looks like a sexy smile, but really just looks like he's gonna pass out. "I'm going to go freshen up, dear." I tell him, treating him how my father wants me to- as much as I hate it, it's worth the extra cash he floats my way to at least pretend to swoon over these guys. 

"All right, darling. I'll get us some champagne." he tells me, and I fight the urge to cringe when he kisses me on my cheek. Ew.

I make my way out to the pool house, cursing my high heels every step of the way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aiden's PoV

When is she coming? It's 5:17. She should have been here by now! Maybe she just wanted to get rid of me. Oh, man, Max is gonna kill me if I don't bring her back!

Well, the least I can do is some recon... I start to walk away, but stop at the sound of a voice calling, "wait!!! Wait a minute!"

I turn around, greeted by the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. A lot to say, coming from Manticore, where we're bred to look perfect. But her beauty is unconventional. She's skinny, but not like model thin. Normal, curvy. Her black hair is let long, falling in soft curls. Her bright green eyes, shimmering with playfulness, are as bright as fresh-cut grass.

"I'm sorry. What can I say? The sadistic bastard who invented high heels hates women, and our feet. I'm Halley." she smirks, and I find myself smiling. "So, any reason you were watching me, or do you just stalk random people?" she asks, and I laugh.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

"So, any reason you were watching me, or do you just stalk random people?" I ask, and he grins this amazing grin. Hey, he's kinda cute...no, Halley!! Keep on track!

"Aiden, and you might want to sit down for this." he says, and I look at him suspiciously, but motion for him to follow me into the pool house anyway, where we sit on the couch.

"Okay, so what is it?" I ask him, twisting my hands nervously. He puts his hands over mine to stop them, but doesn't take them away.

"Um, you know the whole transgenic situation, right?" he asks me, and I nod. "Well, the man who created us, Sandeman, was in a family that was in this cult, the Conclave..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aiden's PoV

I don't know what to do...she's been sitting with her mouth open, just staring at me for about five minutes. Suddenly, she shakes her head, tears filling her eyes. "No...they would have told me..." 

She looks up at me, her green eyes filled with disbelief and sadness. Looking so lost that it's breaking my genetically engineered heart. I wrap my arms around her in an attempt to protect her from the world that's hurting her so much, and she just rests her head on my chest and lets the tears fall unchecked down her face.

"I never knew...god, what do I do? I can't stay here." she whispers, sitting up. I wipe a tear she's missed off her cheek, and she smiles-very, very faintly, but it still makes me feel better.

"You can come to Terminal City with me. It's where you belong." I tell her, and she stops completely. "Max and Alec, our leaders, want you there. We all do."

"You sure?" she asks uncertainly, and I nod. 

"Positive. You're what we need to beat the Conclave." I tell her, and she twists her hand nervously again. I put my hand over hers, stilling them. "When do you want to leave?" I ask her, and she smiles brightly, her perfect mouth curving up into an adorable smile...stay on task, soldier!!

"Tonight. I'll pack during the dinner, telling everyone I don't feel good, and then sneak out while they're eating." she says, and smiles. "I'm really doing this?" she asks, and I nod happily.

"Yeah, you're really doing this." I tell her, and she holds out her arm. I shake my head, confused.

"Pinch me. I want to make sure this is real." she whispers, closing her eyes. I pinch her skin lightly, and she grins happily.

"I'm really leaving here..." she whispers, her joy evident. A voice calls her name outside, and she looks at me. "I'll be waiting in here at eight." she says, running out of the pool house, a skip to her step.

"I'll be waiting."

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A/N: whatcha think? Tell me!!! hope you like it!!

Luv ya all, and thanx to all my beloved reviewers!!!

Molly Jeane :D


	3. Come with me to the wonderful land of Oz

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Halley's PoV

Simon is on the other side of the pool when I step out of the pool house, wiping off my blush to make me look my natural pale. I rub my hand over and over on my forehead, to make it warm. I make my eyes a bit watery, and carry myself so that I look like I'm gonna break at any time. What can I say? If you're gonna fake faint, at least to it good!

"Halley! Are you all right?" he cries, rushing to my side as I grip his arm like there's no tomorrow. He winces, then checks my forehead, murmuring about me having a fever. I make my eyes go out of focus a bit, leaning my head on his shoulder as we walk inside, passing the pool house. I send Aiden a wink.

We enter the ballroom, and he's still trying his best to make sure I don't pass out on the floor. Which, unluckily for him, is still gonna happen. We get about a quarter of the way into the room, and I decide it's my moment to shine. I make my eyes go out of focus, sending Simon a confused, weak look just as I crumple to the ground, letting my body go limp as screams of women and gasps of men are heard. 

I hear Maria's voice ordering people to back away from me, and feel Andre's strong arms lifting me. The warmth and smell of over-priced perfume fades as he carries me to my room, Maria following after him. I hear the soft sound of my bedspreads being pulled back, and the warmth and comfort of them being pulled over me. The heavy sound of Andre's boots leaving and the door closing tells me that I'm safe, and I open my eyes to find Maria staring at me.

"So, was I believable?" I ask, and she hits me on the shoulder.

"You scared me to death, little missy." she admonishes, making me feel guilty. But only for a second- it's impossible for Maria to get mad at me, so what do I have to be guilty for? 

"Sorry, Maria. But I had to get out of there." I tell her, knowing I can trust her with anything, "I'm leaving tonight. Forever." She gasps, then lets out a giant grin.

"Oh, mamacita! I am so happy for you. Where are you going?" she asks, and I shake my head, knowing that I can't tell her or I'll put her in danger of losing her job.

"I can't say. But I'll call you, and send you letters, and...I'm so excited!" I gush, and she smiles at me, a sort of maternal pride making her glow. After all, I am the daughter she never had- she said that, not me. "But you can't let anyone come in here tonight, ok?" I ask her, and she nods.

"No one. I'll miss you so much, my little girl." she says, and tears start filling her eyes. I nod, pulling her into a hug as my eyes water again. Funny, I thought I'd cried all that I could in the pool house.

"Thank you for everything you've ever done. I love you, Maria. And tell everyone bye for me, okay?" I ask her, somehow choking the words through the tears. She nods, telling me that she loves me, too. Then, she stands up, and with one last wave is gone forever. I stand up, throwing off the covers and climbing out, pulling the slip over my head but getting stuck halfway.

Great, just great. Just my luck that Aiden, hot little soldier boy, is having a laughing fit while watching me try to get my elbow to get unstuck. I finally free myself of it, and change into jeans and a beater, throwing on a zip-up cardigan with pins all over it on for warmth, in case it gets chilly. 

I open my door a little, panicking as I see Simon coming down the hall. What the hell is that freak doing here???!!! I hurl myself under the covers, feigning a contented sleep before I realize that my "dress" is lying on the ground. I take off my tank top so it looks like I haven't changed, and pretend to sleep again.

Simon waltzes in, his eyes going wide at the sight of the dress on the ground. I mumble incoherently, tossing all over the bed. He sits down next to me, shaking my blanket-covered shoulder lightly. "Halley. Halley, wake up." he whispers, smiling slightly. Maybe this guy isn't all bad.

"Mmm?" I mumble, rubbing my eyes.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. After all, we all know how much fake fainting can do to your health." he tells me, brushing a piece of hair out of my eye. "And, I was wondering if you would consider going steady with me, to all the banquets and dances our parents, who obviously smoke crack, like to attend." Well, no argument about the "smoking crack" bit. When did Simon go normal?

"You don't like them, either?" I ask him, and he laughs.

"Are you kidding me? They're for losers who are on the chess club and wear sweaters tied around their necks!" he snorts. Could I have really been this wrong?

"Listen, Simon, I would, really, but I-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"It's ok, really, I just figured that we could be sarcastic together or whatever." he says, frowning a bit.

"No, I really would, it's just that I'm running away tonight." I tell him, and he lights up.

"Oh, where?" he asks, and I shrug, really not wanting to share the destination yet.

"Dunno. But I'm gonna need your help. You have to keep everyone away from my room, ok?" I tell him. Obviously Maria didn't do a good job at that one. Honestly, I mean, I love the woman, but she has the shortest memory span in the history of ever. One time, she bought a bottle of Gingko Biloba, and forgot where she put it!!!

"Sure. Hey, you take care of yourself out there." he tells me, and I kiss him on the cheek, figuring that he deserves it.

"Will do. And you find a way to rebel against those dweebs, ok?" I tell him, and he smirks. Then he leaves, waving me goodbye.

I pull my shirt over my head, really not caring that by now, my hair probably looks like Diana Ross's, and head to the closet. I pull out the top of the closet and pull down a shoebox, then lift up the rug beside my bed, pulling up a floorboard and snag the old hatbox inside. I take a jar from my desk and start emptying all the years and years of allowance stored in the boxes, and put them into the jar. I tuck the jar into my backpack and grabs wads of jeans and tank tops, not even bothering to fold them.

After I finish with all the clothes, I open up the three jewelry boxes on my dresser and empty them into a baggy, being extra careful with the real stuff. I do a quick check, then grab my cell phone and coat and open the French glass doors, not even bothering with a goodbye note as I jump off the balcony and run for the woods, for my one chance to get out of here.

Hello, world, here I come!! Ow! Stupid rabbit hole...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Aiden's PoV

I watch her jump off her balcony, landing with all the precision and grace of a cat. She starts running for me, her legs moving like a tiger's, working effortlessly and with ease...ok, tripping into a rabbit hole kind of ruined the graceful-factor.

She reaches me, practically doing the whole 'teenage girl squeal' thing, she's so excited. "This way." I tell her, and she follows me to my bike, her eyes lighting up when she sees it.

"Ooh, pretty." she fake-swoons, making her voice all pitchy and breathy and batting her eyes. I laugh, knowing now that this is by far the best mission I've ever been on.

"I know, little lady. Would you like a ride with a real man?" I ask, making my voice super-low and gruff as I climb on. She slides in behind me, and you can hear the grin in her voice.

"Sure thing, hot shot." she whispers, and I start the bike. I maneuver us onto the road, where we're once again stopped by cows.

"Goodbye, Wisconsin!" she yells, tipping her head back and smiling. Her black hair swirls around her face, framing her beauty. The wind rushing by her cheeks makes them turn red. You know, she is quite pretty....I'm in deep, aren't I? 

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A/N: Hello, my people!!!! how'd ya like it? Sorry about update-lackage...my computer had a virus, and it just got fixed today. Stupid computer. 

Molly Jeane :D


	4. Ying and Yang, PB and J, it's all the sa...

Halley's PoV

I grip tightly onto his waist as we turn the corner, still not able to believe the fact that I'm leaving. I'm actually doing what I've thought about for years. I'm leaving behind my private hell for a whole new future. Who knows what this'll bring? It's so liberating I'm tempted to just hop off this bike and do a little happy-dance. Ok, so I could never be _that_ happy, but still, this kicks!!

We've been riding for a long time know, how long exactly I really couldn't tell ya. All I know is that I'm so happy...oh, and I know that Aiden is probably really amused with me at this point, seeing as I'm grinning like an idiot, but I think it's understandable. Let's just hope I don't become the laughing stock of Terminal City, whatever that is.

He says we're going to Seattle, but I don't even know if that's where we're staying. I'm nervous beyond belief at being shoved into a whole new city, but anything's better than those damn boarding schools. I really don't have to worry about the job-problem for a while; I have a nice nest egg of my guilt-jewelry from Daddy and my allowance of the past five years. What can I say? I knew I would need some quick cash sooner or later.

It's almost surreal to finally have this happen. I mean, it's like one of those plans that you make but never expect to use, or the daydream that finally comes true. It's crazy, and surreal, and I love it.

My dream is finally coming true...

Aiden's PoV

I pull over to the side of the road by an old, abandoned cabin. The sun's setting behind my shoulder, and Halley hops off the bike as we roll to a stop. "Ooh, elegant." she says sarcastically, and I nod.

"I just hope they didn't forget the mints on the pillows." I say archly, and she giggles, but tries to hide it.

"Ugh, I just hope this has better housekeeping than the Ritz. Last time I was there, they forgot to fully restock my minifridge!" she says, putting on a false British accent and flipping her hair like some ditzy heiress. I smirk, breaking the padlock and opening the door for her.

"M'lady." I say, bowing as she walks in.

"Why thank you, good sir." she says, then squeaks. "Ew, spider!" she squeals, grabbing my arm. I crush it with my shoe, and her hold lightens. "Thanks." she says, blushing in the most beautiful way possible. Who'd have thought that she can even make blushing cute? "I, um, really don't like spiders. We kind of have a hate-hate relationship- isn't pretty."

"They do have quite a few legs." I admit, trying to make her blush lessen. She nods, sitting down on an old couch and opening her backpack.

"Hey, will you help me count my money?" she asks, and I nod, not really expecting much. I mean, after all, this is the post-Pulse world we're talking about. But then she pulls out a jar filled with bills, and an enormous bag filled with jewelry.

"Holy shit." the words come unbidden, and I sit down, trying to tally up the worth of the jewelry- all real, from as far as I can tell. But I'll have to ask Max or Alec on that one- they're the resident cat burglers. She looks up at me, smirking.

"What can I say? Guilt money is _never_ a bad thing." she shrugs, dumping the jar out onto the coffee table in front of her. "And guilt money is one thing that can get you away from overbearing parents who could care less about you." she says gleefully, grinning cheerfully as she separates bills.

I sit down next to her, gently taking the jewelry out of the bag and doing a quick estimate on each. "Are these all real?" I ask, and she shakes her head, pointing to a necklace with colorful beads on it.

"Not that one, which you probably would've figured out, but the rest are." she says, putting another tally on a sheet of paper and smiling brightly at me. "Two thousand, seven hundred, and forty-eight dollars."

Damn. That's a shitload of money, especially in post-pulse terms. I look at the jewelry, and hear her stifle a laugh. I look at her, and follow her eyes to the necklace that I put on my wrist for safekeeping- the one I got for her. "Pretty." she says, trying miserably not to laugh.

"I got it for you..." I say, and she looks at me questioningly, "but if you're going to be mean, I'll wear it myself."

"Yeah, that'd be hot." she says, smirking, and I take the necklace off and fasten it around her neck. "I love the yingyang. I think it's so true."

"What's true?" I ask, fully lost on what it means. I just thought it was a symbol girls think is pretty. She looks at me incredulously.

"You don't know what the yingyang stands for?" she asks, her clover-green eyes wide. I shake my head, and she pats my arm in mock-sympathy. "It's ok. I know you're trying." she says, holding back a smile that still reaches her eyes. "It means that to every good thing, there's something bad, and that not everything that's bad is fully bad. You see the little dot in the middle of the black?" she implores, and I nod, amused that she takes this so seriously. "It's to symbolize the tiny bit of good in everything evil. The opposite goes for the white."

"Good philosophy." I say, agreeing.

"Yup." she says, toying with the necklace nervously. "Um...do you think that I'll fit in even slightly in TC?" I just laugh. Her bottom lip immediately springs forward, and she looks like someone just took away her puppy.

"Halley, there are giant dogs and lizards. You'll do fine." I tell her, and she nods, not looking convinced.

"It's just that you all have the bond of being Manticore...I'm just being dropped there in the middle of a siege." she says, picking at lint on the old couch. I wrap my arm around her, trying to make her more comfortable. She leans back, calming a little, as I knew she would. Transgenics are comforted by touch...I'm guessing it's the animal DNA.

"You'll be fine. Let's get some sleep. I want to be in Seattle by tomorrow night." I tell her, and she nods, and, not bothering to walk to the nearby bedroom, uses my shoulder as a pillow, curling her feet onto the couch.

"Night." she mumbles sleepily, and I pull an old blanket over us, a cloud of dust rising a bit.

"Night." I say softly, waiting for her breathing to even out before I let myself fall into a deep sleep.

AN: okay, totally trying to update a ton of my stories, so bear with me if it's short. All of you reading "Along Came Trannies", it's up, and "Tru Confessions" should be by tomorrow night, too.

Luv ya!

Molly Jeane


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